Florida State has cancelled their home opener against the UL-Monroe Warhawks in the wake of Hurricane Irma. The university made the correct to decision to opt in the favor of safety of their students.

They’ve cancelled class through Friday to allow students to get ready for the storm. Irma last shifted west and Tallahassee is currently projected to be heavily affected by wind and strong storms.

This ominous weather could end up having a direct impact on the Seminoles success this season. True freshman quarterback James Blackman planned to take the reins against the Warhawks after a season-ending injury to Deondre Francois last week.

FSU would’ve had an opportunity to bring the young signal caller along against a ULM defense that allowed 416 offensive yards in a loss to Memphis last week. UL-Monroe gave up 319 yards on the ground and might’ve been just the defense the `Noles needed to face to get a rhythm in their rushing attack.

James Blackman will become the first true freshman to start for the Seminoles since Chip Ferguson in 1985.(Photo: Joe Rondone/Democrat)

Now, head coach Jimbo Fisher will integrate Blackman into the starting lineup during one of the most important games of the season. The `Noles go for their eighth straight victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, Sept. 16. It certainly won’t be easy with a freshman at the helm.

Despite having only been in Tallahassee since July, Blackman won the backup quarterback competition over redshirt junior JJ Cosentino and fellow freshman Bailey Hockman. It’s unlikely Blackman has mastered the entirety of Fisher’s notoriously tough system. The head coach has never started or even played a true freshman at quarterback during his time at FSU, until now.

Blackman’s father and former coach, Rick Butts, said he thinks James is ready for the starting role when speaking with NoleGameday on Hear The Spear earlier this week.

“James just wants to play football. He seems to be handling it pretty well right now,” Butts said on Blackman being named the starting quarterback. “He just wants to go out and show everybody that he can play his game of football.”

The Hurricanes are talented defensively, boasting an experienced front-seven. Miami’s Chad Thomas and Joe Jackson both return at defensive end. Thomas has been a consistent face on the `Canes’ defensive front since 2015, Jackson recorded a team-high 8.5 sacks as a true freshman in 2016. Kendrick Norton and RJ McIntosh return at the interior. Norton started last year while McIntosh was a valuable depth piece who should be solid this season.

Miami is also strong at linebacker after being extremely green a season ago. True sophomores Shaquille Quarterman (Freshman All-American), Michael Pinckney, and Zach McCloud all return as starters after gaining valuable experience in 2016. Quarterman is one of the most talented linebackers in the country entering 2017, he finished last season with 84 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The trio form one of the most capable linebacker units in the entire country.

Florida State freshman quarterback James Blackman earned high praise from head coach Jimbo Fisher throughout fall camp.(Photo: Wayne McGahee III/Democrat)

The defensive backfield is where Florida State has a chance to be most effective against the Hurricanes. Miami loses starting cornerback Corn Elder, as well as starting safeties Jamal Carter and Rayshawn Jenkins to graduation. However, that was before Francois went down and Blackman was thrust into action. You can’t discount the true freshman’s strong arm and pin-point accuracy, but his size is worrisome. He’s the ideal height for a quarterback at 6-foot-5 but Blackman weighs only 185 pounds.

It’ll be interesting to see if the slender framed Blackman will be able to take hits at the collegiate level. However, he’s certainly not untested when it comes to being hit. The Glade Central product’s high school offensive line was pretty porous and on film, Blackman routinely made plays under pressure. Maybe that bodes well for what he’ll deal with on the offensive line at FSU.

The former composite three-star prospect might not even get to debut against his hometown team. Hurricane Irma is expected to bring widespread devastation throughout the state and could put next weekends tilt against the `Canes in doubt. Miami and Tallahassee are both expected to be affected by the hurricane and it might be smarter to postpone the game so both communities can recover. FSU and Miami both have bye weeks on the weekend of Oct. 7. If this storm ends up being as bad as anticipated, postponing the game will be the best move for the safety of everyone involved.